HD 98618

HD 98618 is a star in the constellation Ursa Major which
is nearly identical to our Sun, and thus a prime
target in the search for nearby Earth-like worlds that might host life.
HD 98618 is, to within a few percent, the same size, age, and temperature,
as the Sun. Its chemical composition and rotation rate are also close to
the corresponding solar values. Lying at a distance of about 126 light-years,
HD 98618 is bright enough in the night sky to be seen from the Northern
Hemisphere using binoculars.

The only star known to be more like the Sun is 18
Scorpii, which was identified as a solar twin in 1997. 18 Scorpii and
HD 98618 offer astronomers hope of finding solar systems similar to our
own in the Universe. Both stars are lie in the Milky Way's disk and and
orbit the center of the Galaxy at a distance of about 26,000 light years,
just like the Sun. Solar twins are unusual; less than 2% of stars in our
Galaxy could be considered very similar to the Sun.